


Serve to Protect

by FreshBrains



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Community: comment_fic, Cross-Posted on LiveJournal, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Morally Ambiguous Character, POV Natasha Romanov, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 09:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7928752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshBrains/pseuds/FreshBrains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is his country, and Steve will do with her what he pleases.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Serve to Protect

**Author's Note:**

> For the LJ Comment_fic prompt: [Avengers movieverse, Steve Rogers, Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many.](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/597812.html?thread=98704692#t98704692)

“I don’t _know_ ,” the prisoner says, arms straining at his bonds. His face is pulpy with blood, teeth scattered on the cement floor. “Come on, _please_. If I knew, I’d tell you.”  
  
Natasha clenches her fists, blood squeezing from her leather gloves. “Oh, I know. Which is why I keep,” she starts, going in for a sharp left hook, “ _hitting_ you.” Her arms are getting tired—that’s how long they’ve been at it.   
  
“ _Widow_ ,” a voice comes in over her comm, and she pauses. “ _It’s time. Take him out_.”  
  
Natasha frowns. “He’s close,” she murmurs, knowing the man in the chair isn’t paying attention. “He’ll break soon.”  
  
 _“The girl is dead_ ,” Steve says. “ _That man is a liar. Take him out_.” There’s a crackling pause. “ _Please_.” He always says please, like he’s asking. Manners are one of his rules.  
  
“Yes, Cap,” she says, and loads her gun, drowning out the man’s panicked screams.   
  
“ _Three bullets. Bring the casings to_ —“ Steve’s voice is cut off by three successive shots.  
  
*  
  
“This is not why I came to this country,” Natasha says quietly from the doorway. “I wanted to wipe the red from my ledger, and now all I’m doing is smearing the ink.”  
  
Steve looks up. He’s in a white tee shirt and jeans, freshly showered, looking every inch the good poster boy he’s always been, but Natasha knows better than to think he’s off-duty, that he’s not still the Captain. “You’re doing what you’re good at, Nat. Why shouldn’t you?” He stands and walks towards her, and she can’t help but shrink back, just a little. He’s like America herself—larger than life. Larger than anyone anticipated. “I _need_ you,” he says. “This country needs you.” He holds out his hand, eyebrow raised.  
  
She sighs, dropping three bullet casings into his hand. She wants to turn to leave, but instead she asks, “What do you use them for?”  
  
Steven shrugs, giving her that wry little smile of his. “I’m an old man, Nat. I don’t want to forget things.”  
  
There’s so much more she wants to ask him. She knows Sam is back in D.C., keeping an eye on a corrupt member of the Senate, and that Steve’s been in contact with Dr. Jane Foster about a possible breach into Asgard. She knows Barnes is still on the loose in the world, ready with a knife at his Captain’s word. She knows Wanda is still in the basement back at the training facility.  
  
But she also knows the rule. There’s always rules, and with Steve, they must be followed.  
  
“Good soldiers don’t ask questions,” Steve says, as if reading her mind, and clasps one warm hand on Natasha’s shoulder, squeezing it. She’s never been able to tell if that rule is a joke or not. “This is America, after all.” He smiles, that _aw shucks_ grin that makes Natasha shiver, the one that tells her that this is his country, and he will do with her what he pleases.


End file.
